Lights go dark Saturday night for Earth Hour
March 25, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. March 25, 2011
Earth Hour — billed as the largest climate awareness event in history — reaches Issaquah and King County on Saturday night, as nonessential lights go dark.
“Turning off the lights for one hour is a positive gesture to call attention to the relationship between energy use and climate change,” County Executive Dow Constantine said in a release. “The real challenge is translating this gesture into earth-friendly actions we can take at all hours of every day.”
The city and county plan to join hundreds of millions of people and tens of thousands of organizations in the event. Earth Hour is scheduled for 8:30-9:30 p.m.
Constantine has signed a proclamation in support of Earth Hour 2011, a global event spearheaded by the World Wildlife Fund.
Remember Issaquah zoo’s beloved cougar Saturday
March 25, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. March 25, 2011
Join other zoogoers to remember the cougar Nashi, the beloved and iconic Cougar Mountain Zoo denizen, at a Saturday celebration.
Nashi died at age 17 late last month. The celebration starts at 2 p.m. at the zoo, 19525 S.E. 54th St. The zoo plans to open the stage for zoogoers and zookeepers to talk about Nashi.
The orphaned cougar cub arrived at the nonprofit zoo from Minnesota woods more 17 years ago.
The other cougar at the zoo, Merlin, died in 2008, and General Curator Robyn Barfoot is raising money to refurbish the cougar habitat and acquire cubs for the exhibit.
The zoo is seeking donations to cover the expected $10,000 cost. Zoogoers can donate at the zoo website.
Issaquah preserves Tiger Mountain forest in historic milestone
March 24, 2011
Park Pointe protection occurs after yearslong effort to stop proposed construction
NEW — 6:45 p.m. March 24, 2011
The long-running saga to preserve Park Pointe — a slice of Tiger Mountain forest near Issaquah High School — ended Thursday afternoon, after more than a decade of public and behind-the-scenes negotiations to halt construction on hundreds of houses proposed for the land.
The historic conservation effort is part of a complicated transfer of development rights. Under the agreement, city leaders steered construction from Park Pointe to the Issaquah Highlands instead, and, as a result, preserved more than 140 acres in the process.
City planners and officials shepherded the transfer-of-development-rights agreement through the arduous process after Mayor Ava Frisinger outlined the landmark opportunity to preserve Park Pointe in late 2008.
In the years since, city leaders and other partners continued to pursue the project until the recession scuttled the developer pushing for the project.
Tuberculosis remains a health concern in King County
March 24, 2011
NEW — 3 p.m. March 24, 2011
Public Health – Seattle & King County released new information about tuberculosis in King County on Thursday as part of World TB Day.
The health agency reported 116 active, or infectious, TB cases last year — a decrease from 130 cases in 2009. Officials said six of the cases last year resulted from the recently discovered PCR0001 strain.
The strain appears more likely to infect other people and cause active TB more than common strains.
The strain has caused 76 cases in local homeless people since 2002, and is starting to reach the broader community. Of the six PCR0001 cases from last year, three came from outside of the homeless population.
“We aren’t immune in King County from the global epidemic or the changing nature of the disease itself,” Dr. David Fleming, director and health officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, said in a release. “The wider spread of what appears to be a more potent strain is concerning, and it’s an important example of why we can’t afford to relax our efforts in controlling TB.”
Issaquah legislator backs corporate income tax
March 24, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. March 24, 2011
State Rep. Glenn Anderson seeks to scrap the unpopular business-and-occupation tax and levy a flat-rate corporate income tax instead.
Besides calling for a 7 percent corporate income tax on revenues after expenses, the legislation also proposes eliminating all B&O tax exemptions and prohibiting a personal income tax.
In introducing the bill and constitutional amendment, the Fall City Republican said the idea is based on the same premise as a recent proposal from the national deficit-reduction commission to simplify the federal tax code.
In Olympia, legislators face pressure to close tax “loopholes” to help patch a $5.1 billion hole in the 2011-13 state budget.
Clubs offer chance to donate to Japan, get fit at same time
March 24, 2011
NEW — 8 a.m. March 24, 2011
People interested in donating to disaster relief efforts in Japan can offer aid and get fit.
Donate $45 to the American Red Cross, and receive a free personal-training session at Columbia Fitness-Sammamish or Columbia Athletic Clubs-Pine Lake on the Sammamish Plateau.
Donations should be made in the form of a check made out to the American Red Cross; 100 percent of the funds raised go directly to disaster relief.
The fundraiser runs through March 31 at Columbia Fitness-Sammamish, 22840 N.E. Eighth St., No. 105. Columbia Athletic Clubs-Pine Lake, 2930 228th Ave. S.E., is holding the fundraiser from April 1-15.
Police protect and serve — burgers — for fundraiser Saturday
March 23, 2011
Issaquah Police Chief Paul Ayers (left) participates in the 2009 Tip-a-Cop fundraiser to benefit the Special Olympics. File
NEW — 4 p.m. March 23, 2011
Issaquah police officers protect and serve — and on Saturday, the men and women in blue serve meals, too.
For the annual Tip-a-Cop fundraiser, officers from the Issaquah and Snoqualmie police departments plan to serve burgers, fries and more to diners at Red Robin. Tips collected by law enforcement officers benefit Special Olympics Washington.
Officials to host meeting about May Valley sex offender
March 23, 2011
NEW — 4 p.m. March 23, 2011
Randall Eugene Berry
King County Sheriff’s Office and Issaquah School District officials reached out to parents Wednesday, because a registered sex offender is moving to May Valley.
The sheriff’s office is holding a sexual-offender notification meeting from 6:30-8 p.m. April 20 at Apollo Elementary School, 15025 S.E. 117th St., Renton.
The offender, Randall Eugene Berry, is moving to the 18800 block of Southeast May Valley Road. People living near Berry’s residence received mailers about the move.
Berry was charged with first-degree rape in 1984. Posing as an off-duty police officer with a fake badge, he used his vehicle’s headlights or emergency flashers to stop women who were driving alone, according to the sheriff’s office. He then told victims they had committed a traffic violation, or that they had defective vehicle equipment.
Issaquah High School baseball team drops opener
March 23, 2011
NEW — 2 p.m. March 23, 2011
The Issaquah and Newport high school baseball teams have had some classic battles of the years and their Tuesday 4A KingCo Conference opener was no exception. Newport, the host team, prevailed 1-0.
Newport scored its run in the bottom of the seventh to end a pitchers’ duel.
Ethan Kalin started for Issaquah and threw hitless innings before being relieved by Scott Boydston, who blanked Newport until the seventh.
Cole Wiper, Newport’s starting pitcher, worked the first five innings and allowed just two hits. He struck out eight. Jared Fisher, the winning pitcher, worked the final two innings for Newport.
Daniel Altchech singled in pinch runner Ioannis Kritsonis with the winning run.
Missing Issaquah High School student is found safe
March 23, 2011
NEW — 12:15 p.m. March 23, 2011
The friends and family of 14-year-old Jamie Gilbert said she has been found safe.
The freshman at Issaquah High School had been missing since between 10 p.m. and midnight March 18. On a Facebook page created to alert people to Jamie’s disappearance, friends said she is safe and staying with a friend.
Jamie attended the Getting Lucky 5 rave in Seattle and had not communicated with family members or friends since then.
Investigators also closed the missing-person case related to the disappearance.
